


Linked

by liketogetlost



Series: Lessons [2]
Category: Social Network (2010)
Genre: Bondage, Collars, Dom/sub, Leashes, M/M, Pet Play, Public Sex, Spanking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-26
Updated: 2011-05-26
Packaged: 2017-10-19 19:47:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/204566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/liketogetlost/pseuds/liketogetlost
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mark's always had a hard time understanding love. He understands control, and he understands someone giving up control. He guesses it takes a certain amount of love to do that with a person.</p><p>Mark's given up more control than he has in his whole life, being with Eduardo.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Linked

Eduardo is home.

After months of being away at school, and only talking to Mark on the phone or sneaking some time on his web cam before Divya could bust them, he was finally off for Spring vacation.

Walking into Mark's, well, their house now, is like a sigh of relief. Eduardo drops his bags on the floor and breathes in the air. It smells better in Florida, and it smells better where Mark is.

Eduardo is about to call out to him when he sees the collar and leash hanging from a peg on the wall, near the front door.

Eduardo grins, and unbuttons his shirt.

His finals had nearly killed him. His teachers were mostly huge pricks, none of whom he'd ever dream of sleeping with thank you very much, even if he wasn't in a committed relationship. Harvard was great and he had some great friends but really he was stressed out and Mark knew it. Eduardo's learned that Mark's a lot more intuitive than people give him credit for.

So Eduardo begins to strip off his clothes, and as he does he feels like he's stripping off the last few months of working until dawn, cramming information in his head, of endless tests and studying chapters, it all comes off. And then he's naked, and pulling the collar from the peg.

He slides it around his neck and snaps it shut, loving the way it pinches a little at his throat. The cold, metal chain hangs down his chest and swings a gently past his nipples, making him shiver. He gets down on his hands and knees and crawls across the carpet, towards the hallway, to find Mark.

But Mark finds him, coming from the bedroom. “Hey, look who's back.” His voice is soft, and low, and it gets Eduardo right in the chest.

Mark reaches down and picks up the leash. He runs a hand through Eduardo's hair, lovingly, pulling a little and Eduardo hums. He's not allowed to talk during these times, but he's done enough talking at Harvard. He needs to be silent right now.

“Come on.” Mark pulls gently at the leash, tugging slightly, as he leads Eduardo to the kitchen. Eduardo follows after, waiting behind Mark when he gets a beer from the fridge. Eduardo sees a flash of the groceries inside, and smiles inwardly at the thought that Mark must have gone shopping for him before he came home.

Then he's following Mark back to the living room, where Mark tugs again as he sits on the couch. Eduardo hisses a little at the way the collar digs into his neck, but it doesn't hurt, and he knows it's his cue to come closer to Mark.

Mark looks so good. Eduardo hasn't seen him in the flesh in far too long, after being with him every day during his senior year and the summer before college. It's the hardest thing in the world, being so far away from him. They've talked about him quitting his job and coming to live in Boston, but it's not the right time for it. Besides, if Mark was there, Eduardo would probably fail out of all his classes.

Eduardo rubs his cheek over Mark's thigh, and when Mark slides his fingers back through his hair, Eduardo runs his nose up, up towards where he wants to be.

Mark makes a sound in the back of his throat and shakes his head. “No, bad boy. Not now.”

Eduardo can't help but whine a bit, especially as he watches Mark nurse his bottle of beer. Mark looks from the tv down to him and smirks a little. “C'mon.”

Eduardo climbs onto Mark's lap, and lays over him sideways with his face pressed into his stomach.

Mark strokes him from the back of his neck, down his spine, over his bare ass and repeats the motion. It feels so fucking good, and it makes him swell, but mostly it makes his breathing steady and his heartbeat even and his mind dispose of everything he's been worried about or preoccupied with.

He closes his eyes and rubs his face over the softness of Mark's t-shirt, into the flesh of his warm belly.

He falls asleep that way, curled up on Mark's lap, his hands stroking him to relaxation.

\- -

Mark's hands are shaking a little.

Eduardo is home, and on his lap, naked and beautiful and it's been too long since he had him this way.

Mark had talked to him the night before and he'd sounded so tired. He thought Eduardo would need to relax when he came home.

Mark isn't the type to cook a nice dinner and rent a movie, or some sort of relationship nonsense like that.

He'd hung the collar and leash on the wall, remembering how much Eduardo had liked it the last time they'd played with this scenario.

Eduardo is quite honestly the best thing to ever happen to him.

It was incredibly fucking stupid to mess around with a student. But from the moment Mark had seen him in his classroom, as cheesy as it sounded, Mark knew that Eduardo was the type of guy who would let him be who he wanted. Who needed someone to let _him_ be who he wanted.

Eduardo was gorgeous and smart. Eduardo had potential and he had his choice of anyone he wanted.

Eduardo wanted Mark.

He'd also looked so fuckable in his old private school uniform.

Sometimes he still put it on for him, just for kicks.

But right now Eduardo's wearing nothing, and he's curled up on his lap like a puppy. He's warm and alive, unlike the phone he's been holding to his ear the last few months.

Mark can go without a lot for a long time.

He can code for hours, without eating or showering or even drinking sometimes. He doesn't feel the need to do laundry all the time, but Eduardo makes him.

The point is, Mark is not the type of person who _needs_ things.

He finds himself needing Eduardo when he's gone.

So much so that when he's around Mark wants to claim him. He can't help himself from touching him, kissing him, biting welts on his skin that won't go away for weeks.

When Eduardo is away Mark tells him to suck marks onto his wrists and thighs.

Mark's palms itch when Eduardo is gone, but he never feels the need to be with anyone else to sate himself. Eduardo will come home, and that will be enough. More than enough.

Mark watches Eduardo sleep. He studies the way his stomach contracts slowly with each breath.

Things have not always gone well for Mark.

He'd tried to be someone, do something, in college. And it had all gone to shit. But he tries, he tries to make something with his code. He tries to create, even if it's shitty websites for other people for less than what he should be paid.

He's always creating something with Eduardo. Eduardo is __his creation_._

Sometimes he thinks about all the stupid boys he fucked around with before Eduardo. The sniveling little fucks who just wanted someone to hit them in the face because it got them off. The older guys who thought they could change him, tell _him_ what to do.

He's told Eduardo about them. Here and there.

He sort of enjoys the flashes of jealousy in his eyes when he does, but they were all nothing compared to what he has now.

Eduardo is this kind, gentle person with a chest wide open so you can see his pulsing heart all bruised and still beating.

Mark doesn't deserve him, but he has him.

He has him on a leash. With a collar around his long, sexy neck. And he has him stroked into sleep, cock hard against his leg.

Mark hasn't fucked him in months.

He feels a wave of need hit him so hard he can barely think.

He has to make him come. Making Eduardo come is like nothing he's ever done before.

It feels like such a huge goddamn accomplishment every time he makes it happen.

\- -

When Eduardo wakes up, Mark has the leash wrapped around his fist and he's staring down at him.

Eduardo blinks a few times, and yawns, stretching his long limbs over the couch. He turns over, laying on his back, and Mark looks down at his cock, full and trying to get his attention.

“Did you sleep well? This kept poking me during your nap, just to let you know.” Mark rubs a warm palm over his belly and Eduardo keens.

“You like that, huh? Do you want more, Eduardo? Do you think you deserve it?”

Eduardo bites his bottom lip and shuts his eyes, curling his toes against the cushions and thinking _more_.

Mark's other hand tightens around the leash and he yanks it a little, hard enough to make Eduardo gasp and open his eyes.

“Sit up.”

Eduardo shifts, sitting on Mark's lap. He nuzzles against his neck, sighing at the warmth there. Mark runs his hot hands down over his back and grips his ass.

God, he needs this. He needs Mark.

“Did you miss this?” Mark whispers, letting Eduardo rub his face over his shoulder. Eduardo nods, using all his willpower not to arch against him or push back into his touch.

Mark reaches over and takes the leash in his hand again, pulling it roughly away from him so Eduardo has to lean back. He stares at him, his eyes dark. “Were you a good boy while you were away?”

Eduardo thinks about the parties he was invited to, the parties he went to. Some boys caught his eye, that was true. But mostly he'd look at them and think about what was waiting for him. The hands he loved all over his body, the mouth that sucked him the way he liked. Those boys didn't know what he needed.

He didn't care about them.

Eduardo nods his head, licks his lips. Mark looks at his mouth like he's considering kissing him but yanks him forward instead.

“I really hope so, Eduardo. Because if you weren't I'm going to have to do something to correct you.” Mark's other hand comes down soft over his ass, pressing him close. “As it is, I think someone needs to get off, yeah?”

Eduardo can only whimper.

“Do you want to come, Eduardo? I can feel you, hard on my stomach. You're so disgusting, so desperate. I think you should only get to rub off on me, what do you think?”

Eduardo's breath is coming so fast, he can't even really think, he just wants to _move_ , and all he can do is nod.

“That's it, go ahead Eduardo, get yourself off.”

Eduardo moves slowly, rubbing his pulsing cock over the thin material of Mark's t-shirt, on his stomach. It's not enough, it's not what he wants, to have Mark bend him over and fuck him. But it's what Mark's allowing, what he's giving him, and he's happy to take it.

“Look at you, so fucking horny. Humping me like an animal, Eduardo. You love this, don't you? Yeah, faster, you're gonna come just like this.”

Eduardo whimpers, gripping the back of the couch as he jerks his hips. He gasps as he feels Mark's bare stomach against the hot skin of his prick where his shirt's ridden up. He's wet and dripping all over the cotton, staining it with his need.

He looks up at Mark and catches his eyes, and Mark's just staring at him like he can't quite believe Eduardo exists. Mark runs his nails down Eduardo's naked thigh and tilts his head back, and Eduardo loses it.

“There you go, Eduardo.”

It's burning hot pleasure running through him, streaks of come coating his dick and ending up on Mark's shirt. Eduardo's shaking, his hips and thighs sore, and he drops his forehead on Mark's shoulder to catch his breath.

“God, Wardo.” Mark sounds as wrecked as Eduardo feels. He reaches up to undo his collar and Eduardo stops him.

“Don't.” He likes it.

“You like it?”

Eduardo nods and kisses Mark's neck. “Hi.”

Mark chuckles a little. “Hi. Welcome home.”

Eduardo kisses him so hard their teeth clack together.

\- -

Later, after the kissing, Mark takes him to bed and fucks him like it's been years.

Eduardo has bite marks on the back of his neck after.

He likes the way they sting rubbing against the pillow when he lays down.  
\- -

There's an oddness about having someone else in Mark's house.

It's not any someone else, obviously, it's Eduardo. But it's still odd. Mark's grown so used to being alone day to day. Waking up and throwing on clothes from where they were left, still in the hamper. Drinking Red Bull instead of coffee and eating whatever was on hand for breakfast.

When he'd come home at night there was never anyone there to worry about. Just him, his laptop, and sometimes there would be some nameless guy if he felt up to it.

Eduardo, when he's not at school, is there now.

He's usually draped over Mark when he wakes up. Sometimes they shower together, but not too often because it makes him late. Eduardo usually forces Mark to eat something like eggs or a bagel before he leaves. When Mark comes home, more often than not Eduardo is there. Usually studying, or watching the Weather Channel, or sometimes he's where Mark told him to be.

Which is usually naked, in bed.

It's really fucking weird, but also kind of great.

When Eduardo isn't there they text back and forth. More likely than not the texts are the kind that Mark knows make Eduardo squirm during class. The kind that tell him how he should go jerk off after he's dismissed.

Sometimes Eduardo will send him pictures while he's at work.

Sometimes he's late for his class period.

There's the web cam and calls, and Eduardo hasn't grown tired of any of it all yet.

Eduardo's told him he never will.

Mark believes it, which sort of scares the shit out of him.

When Eduardo is on his knees in front of Mark, letting him fuck his mouth, sometimes he'll look up at him in this way that makes him come so hard. That look is hotter than the way Eduardo sucks him off.

He knows Eduardo loves him, because he's said it before.

Eduardo tries not to say it a lot because he knows it makes Mark uncomfortable. But sometimes he lets it slip while Mark has him on his knees, open wide and taking him deep. It disguises itself in Portuguese but it's there, _love_.

Mark's always had a hard time understanding love.

He understands control, and he understands someone giving up control.

He guesses it takes a certain amount of love to do that with a person.

Mark's given up more control than he has in his whole life, being with Eduardo.

\- -

Eduardo's told Divya exactly what their relationship consists of.

He hasn't told his closest friends but for some reason it's easier to talk to Divya about it, probably because he's not from home and doesn't know Mark. Doesn't really know Eduardo, either.

It's nice, though, having someone besides he and Mark know. It's not that he's ashamed, because he's not, but he's not sure his friends would understand.

They _were_ okay with the whole student/teacher thing but Eduardo still doesn't want to push them.

Sometimes Divya will crack jokes. “Can you even feel your ass anymore, Saverin, or is it all scar tissue from the spanking?”

He's not a jerk about it, though. It's just something he knows, something about Eduardo, but it doesn't affect him so he doesn't really care.

Besides, he gets up to some freaky shit with the girls he finds at parties.

Plus, he knows the Winklevosses.

Eduardo's pretty sure he's at least fucked Tyler.

It was awkward at first running into Tyler around school but he's still a nice guy. Even though he won't let Eduardo tell anyone.

“How's your boyfriend?” He'll ask, with a wink. Eduardo will blush and shake his head.

Okay so sometimes he still has thoughts of fucking him, but not seriously. He usually tells Mark on the phone, and Mark will ask him what he wants to do with Tyler. Usually he'll wind up fingering himself while Mark hisses into his ear about how Tyler's cock would be too big for his tight little ass.

They've both played with enough toys, stretching him out, to know that's untrue.

And it's not as if Mark isn't well endowed himself.

But the dirty talk is fun all the same.

Eduardo sometimes has a hard time believing how happy he is.

Even when he talks to his mother on the phone, and she makes excuses for why his father can't talk, he's still happy. Just sad for his mom.

She still won't ask him how his boyfriend is. She really doesn't acknowledge his sexuality at all, which is probably for the best.

When he goes home and Christy is visiting the same time he is, instead of off to Mexico or Italy, he'll hang out in her room like old times and they'll talk about all the boys she's been with. Or how she's doing in school. How her mom doesn't understand why she'd go into school for business instead of becoming a nurse like her sister.

“My sister is stupid. I'm not.” Is what Christy usually says, and Eduardo laughs and they drink another shot of tequila.

When he gets home Mark will be there, naked and asleep, and Eduardo might wake him up with his mouth.

His life is sort of ridiculous but in the best way possible.

Sometimes Mark asks him questions about school like he doesn't understand what Eduardo is doing. Not that he doesn't get why he's going to Harvard, but why he's going to Harvard to study business like the father he hates.

“I don't _hate_ him. And he'd cut me off if I majored in anything else.”

“He didn't cut you off when you told him you like sucking cock.”

“I didn't exactly say it like that. Believe me, he'd be more ashamed I didn't want to be in business. I don't think he cares what goes in my mouth, he's just not proud of the fact.”

They don't really talk about it, mostly because Eduardo can't imagine doing anything else. Or he can't imagine what he really wants to do.

He wants to be with Mark, that he knows.

\- -

Mark keeps pushing around the fish on his plate like it's about to jump up and slap him in the face.

“This is a nice place, Mark, I swear they didn't poison you.” Eduardo says with a smirk, cutting into his salmon.

“I don't know why you dragged me out. You know how I feel about 'nice' places.”

“I know how you feel about outside in general. If it wasn't for me coming along you'd probably have turned into one of those recluses. Maybe teach classes online. Become even more translucent than you already are.” Eduardo picks up a piece of Mark's white fish and holds it in front of his face. “That's you, right there. I can see through you.”

Eduardo's a little bit tipsy. Mark's acting like he's annoyed but he can see a smirk fighting his mouth.

“Can I get you anything else?” Their waiter comes up just as Eduardo is wiggling the piece of fish in Mark's face, and he drops it quickly, embarrassed.

“No, thank you. It's all very good.” Eduardo blushes and shoves some food in his face.

“I'm glad the meal could please you. Let me know if you need anything.”

Eduardo nods as he walks away.

No one really says anything for a moment and Eduardo considers the assignment he needs to work on before he goes back to school.

“He's cute.” Mark says, taking a drink of his water.

“Huh?” Eduardo's lost in the imaginary figures and charts on his plate.

“The waiter. He likes you.”

He cocks an eyebrow and looks over at the guy across the restaurant. He's cute in a way, not in any way Eduardo would really notice. He finds Mark's gaze and sees the familiar burn of jealousy there. Eduardo holds back a smile.

“You think so? Maybe we could get a free meal. You willing to whore me out for a couple minutes, fifteen tops?” Eduardo's just teasing, but the mere suggestion makes Mark's eyes darken. Eduardo's blood always runs hot when Mark looks like that.

Mark finishes his water, his lips coming away a little swollen from all the ice, and shiny. Eduardo follows the swipe of his tongue, and shifts in his seat. “I think he'd want you for longer than fifteen minutes, don't you think?”

Eduardo shakes his head. “I don't know.”

“He'd probably let you do anything you wanted. He looks like a little slut, like you. You could definitely get him on his knees in the alley tonight, if you wanted. Do you want that, Eduardo?”

He shakes his head again, trying to calm his quickening breath. “No.”

“Are you sure? Or maybe he'd want to fuck you, yeah?” Mark's got his hand on his knee under the table, gripping it hard. “You're always so open and ready for it. I bet you'd pull your pants down for him in a minute.”

“No, sir. I promise.” Eduardo whispers. His cock is swelling, nudging the inside of his trousers uncomfortably.

“What's wrong? Is this turning you on? Do you want him that bad?” Mark's thumb presses into the tender part of his knee and Eduardo groans a little, shaking his head again.

“I think we need some more wine, don't you?” Mark waves his free hand at the waiter while he slides the other up the length of Eduardo's inner thigh.

The guy comes over ridiculously quickly, and Eduardo would laugh if Mark wasn't currently palming his cock through his trousers right now.

“Yes, can I help you?” The waiter doesn't even acknowledge Mark, really, focusing right on Eduardo.

“Eduardo here wanted some more wine, didn't you?” Eduardo's stalls but Mark grips him and Eduardo nods his head, breathing out through his nose.

“Yeah, y-yes. More wine, please?”

He squeaks just a little.

“Of course.” He hurries off and Mark smirks, sliding a thumb over the wet patch forming above the tip of his dick.

“He _really_ wants you, Eduardo. I think if you asked nicely he'd let me jerk you off right onto his face. Probably even if you didn't ask nicely. Don't you think?”

Eduardo takes a sip from what he notices is a half filled glass of wine and swallows hard. “No, sir.”

“ _No_?”

Mark squeezes him and Eduardo gasps.

“Yes, I mean. Yes, I do, sir.”

“Go to the bathroom and wait for me.”

Eduardo doesn't have to be told twice.

\- -

Mark throws the waiter a look a few minutes later when he follows Eduardo to the bathroom.

He knows Eduardo is his, that isn't up for dispute.

But every now and then he notices people noticing Eduardo and it grates at him.

Panics him, slightly, maybe. Just sometimes. He remembers how it went a bit wrong before, when Eduardo didn't understand what he wanted. What Mark was really giving him.

But they've talked about it, and it's good now. But when other people look at Eduardo like they want to fuck him, Mark's fingers twitch and he gets the urge to show them exactly who Eduardo belongs to.

And more importantly, Eduardo likes belonging to Mark. Which is the hottest part, really.

The most confusing part, too.

But Mark isn't thinking about that now, he's just thinking about Eduardo waiting for him in the bathroom. When he gets there, Eduardo is leaning against the counter, biting his bottom lip.

“Is no one else in here?”

Eduardo shakes his head and Mark locks the door.

“Come here.”

Eduardo walks over to him and Mark feels that rush he only used to get during a coding tear.

When Eduardo looks at him like that, expectant and eager, eyes wet and dilated, Mark can feel all the possibilities brimming from his fingertips. Like Eduardo is a blank page just waiting to be filled with numbers and symbols.

Mark kisses him, tasting salmon and wine, and turns him around so his back's against the door.

He remembers their first kiss, with come covered lips, when Eduardo was brand new and asking to be broken in.

It's still new, this thing, especially with Eduardo being so young and ready to try whatever Mark suggests.

It's a little scary sometimes.

Mark worries about keeping things fresh. But they don't do this all the time. Sometimes they have completely boring, regular sex.

Which is still mind blowing, in a way Mark can only attribute to it being with Eduardo.

Eduardo's tongue is wet and firm in his mouth, and Mark quickly undoes his trousers. He finds him dripping and stiff, and he doesn't take his time, stroking him hard and fast.

“Turn around.”

Eduardo does, and it's like hitting the right keys.

It makes Mark dizzy.

There's sweat on the back of his neck already and Mark presses his face into it, licking it away. He pushes down Eduardo's trousers, grabbing his ass and smirking when Eduardo moans and presses into his touch.

“Like he could give you this. This is what you want, isn't it, Eduardo?” Mark grips Eduardo's hips and rubs his clothed prick against him.

“Yes, please, sir.” Eduardo gasps, hot against the door, breath fogging the shiny paint.

Mark undoes the fly of his jeans, pulling out his cock and rubbing it again, hard and hot, between the tight, fleshy cheeks of Eduardo's ass.

Mark never wears underwear. It just wastes time.

He pulls out of bottle of lube from his pocket and squeezes some into his hand.

He's also always prepared. Stems from his days in the Boy Scouts as a kid.

“Such a slut, but you're _my_ little slut, aren't you? Say it, Eduardo.” Mark rasps into his ear as he slicks up his dick.

“I'm your slut, sir, always, yes,”

“I'm going to fuck you so hard you want to scream. And you will. You're going to let go, Eduardo, I want every moan and groan to come loud. You're going to let everyone in this snobby restaurant know who you belong to, do you understand?”

“God, yes.”

Mark slides inside, closing his eyes at the tight, hot grip of Eduardo. It always knocks the breath from his lungs, the way he feels and the way he responds.

He has to be quick, because he's pretty sure they won't have much time once Eduardo starts moaning like a porn star.

And he does, right away, because he's very good. Just so very good. It's so amazing the way Mark can force Eduardo like code. Use commands to make him do what he wants.

It's not the power or the work that gets him off, it's the result.

“Mark, _Mark_ , yes, God,”

Mark's fucking him relentlessly, right away, but soon he doesn't even have to move. Eduardo's fucking himself back on his cock, his hands bracing himself on the door, his forehead pressed to the wood.

“As if anyone else could give you this, Eduardo. Look at you, fuck, tell them, let them hear.”

Eduardo's moaning. Loud. And swearing, and calling out Mark's name, and it's only by the grace of God Mark hasn't come yet because it's _so goddamn hot_.

Then there's a banging on the door and a angry voice trying to yell over Eduardo.

Mark hears something about the police.

Mark reaches around to jerk Eduardo off.

“That's it, tell them,”

“ _Yours, yours, yours!_ ”

“We're calling the police right now to drag you out of there!”

“Wardo, come on.”

“Oh God, Mark, baby, love your cock, fucking love it!”

“Get out here right now!”

“Come on, come on,”

Mark sinks his teeth in the back of Eduardo's neck and he feels him stiffen, and shudder, and then he's coming. Mark knows he's coming hard because he goes quiet, and just gasps quickly. Mark groans and buries his face in his shirt collar, his own cock pulsing as he comes, deep in Eduardo's ass.

They stopped using condoms a long time ago.

They don't have time to come back to themselves. They pull their pants back on, catching each other's eye as the banging on the door continues.

Eduardo starts laughing and Mark can't help but join him.

They rush out of the bathroom, past the yelling manager and the stunned looking waiter who's probably hard behind his apron. Mark smirks at him.

They leave without paying.

In the car ride home Eduardo tells Mark he came all over the bathroom door and laughs so hard he can't breathe.

Mark just smiles.

\- -

Eduardo teaches Mark how to play chess.

Well, Mark knows how to play but not as well as Eduardo does.

They play online sometimes when Eduardo is at school, and when Eduardo is home they play on an antique set his grandmother gave him when he was twelve.

“I miss her.” He sighs one day, taking down Mark's knight with his bishop.

“Hmm?” Mark's eyebrows are knitted together in that way they do when he's annoyed at Eduardo winning. Eduardo grins and kicks his ankle beneath the dining room table.

“My avó. My mother stopped... caring about shit when she died. And she was the sweetest, most vulgar old lady.” Eduardo laughs and looks up at Mark, curly hair falling into his eyes. “She would have liked you.”

Mark looks up. “I would have liked her.”

Eduardo tells Christy about them, what they really are, the next time they see each other.

They're not drunk, which is sort of shocking because Eduardo just says it during dinner without really thinking about it.

Christy raises an eyebrow and grins like he's shitting her but then she realizes he's not. “Wow, Wardo. That's intense. Are you sure it's okay?”

Eduardo nods. “Yeah. Yeah, it really is. I just, I mean we're not like that all the time. It's not like he tells me what to eat or when to go to the bathroom. It's just, he's always there. In the back of my mind. And he knows when I need it, when I need to not think about what to do.”

Christy listens, and shakes her head a little. “I could _never_ live that way.” She says, not in a judgmental way, just in a thoughtful way.

Eduardo smirks. “Yeah. I bet you'd make a great dominatrix, though.”

“Wardo!” She slaps his arm, but then makes a face like she's considering it. “I think you're right, though. Oh, Billy Olsen asked me to spank him once!”

“Ew, oh God. Did you do it?”

“Yes!” Christy laughs loudly, drawing looks. When they quiet down they don't talk for a minute and Eduardo feels uneasy until Christy speaks up.

“I'm glad he makes you happy, Wardo. You little perv.” She winks at him and he smiles.

\- -

Mark tells him he's been offered a job in California.

“It's at Stanford. This guy I coded for told me about it, and put in a word for me, and I just got it. From them looking at my work alone. They want me to come out as soon as possible. I'll be teaching at a higher level, to people who actually give a shit about what they're studying. Eduardo, are you, is this okay?”

Eduardo's never seen Mark so driven, or excited. Just the fact that Mark asks him if it's okay makes him sure it's the best decision for them.

He helps them move during summer break. It's further away, but it doesn't really matter. It's just a few more miles tacked onto the miles already between them when he's in Boston. Plus it's just more distance between him and his father, who still won't acknowledge him.

He'll miss his mother, though.

“It has a pool.” Mark says, at the new house.

“There were pools in Florida.” Eduardo can't help but tease.

Mark smiles at him. With dimples. Eduardo knows this situation is serious.

Mark strips off his clothes before the movers have even driven away and jumps naked into the shimmering blue water. Eduardo joins suit.

Mark's hair is all wet and stuck to his forehead so Eduardo wipes it over his head. He kisses him, wrapping his legs around him under the water and feeling his cock, half hard on his stomach. “I can't wait until you have gray hair. It's gonna look so hot on you.”

Mark rolls his eyes. “You have such an old man fetish.”

“You have such a fetish for _me_.” Eduardo bites Mark's bottom lip.

“Corny.” Mark breathes.

They christen the pool and have KFC for dinner.

Eduardo listens to Mark talk about lesson plans and upcoming seminars. He's going to get his own office and parking space and it's all stupid, he says, but he can't shut up about it all and Eduardo thinks it's so cute, seeing him care about something.

Besides Eduardo.

He thinks about school, that night in bed while Mark sleeps snoring softly beside him. He thinks about being excited about something and what he really wants to do with himself.

California is strange but he can stay here, for Mark.

He's going to finish school, he knows that. For his father or for himself, he's not sure. Probably both. But afterward, he probably won't work in business. At least not running one.

Chris is always talking about giving back and works with so many charities. Maybe Eduardo will ask him about them.

Dustin always talks about joining the circus, but Eduardo isn't sure that's for him.

When he thinks about his future, he feels slightly terrified. But Mark is always there, when he thinks about it, and as crazy as it sounds he's telling him where to go and what to do.

It really soothes him, and makes him less worried about how everything will turn out.

The next night, Mark tells Eduardo he wants him to fuck him and they go at it for hours.

Eduardo has him on all fours, and everything is sweaty and slick. Mark keeps telling him harder and faster, and Eduardo says _yes_ , and works _harder and faster_ , and something inside Mark breaks and he sobs, “ _Fuck, yes, I love you_ ,” and he comes wet in Eduardo's hand.

Eduardo doesn't say anything after. He just kisses up Mark's back, licking up the sweat and keeping him from turning around so that Mark doesn't have to say anything or see the tears at the corners of Eduardo's eyes.

\- -

Eduardo sits in on one of Mark's classes before he goes back to Boston.

Mark has a hard time concentrating on his lecture, stammering over Power Point and adjusting his glasses every few minutes. He can see him, only him, when he looks over the rows of seats. Even with Eduardo in the back, at the top of the stairs, his gaze keeps going to him. The little brat.

When the class lets out, Eduardo makes his way down the steps and leans against his desk as Mark shuffles papers around.

“Professor Zuckerberg, can I have a moment?” He says, with a shit eating grin.

Mark rolls his eyes, holding back his own smile. “Eduardo, shut up.”

“Oh, you're so sexy when you're bossy, _Professor Zuckerberg_.” Eduardo makes his way around his desk in what Mark can only describe as a sashay, sitting back on his desk in a way that's all too familiar.

“I like the way you lecture, sir, it gets me hot.”

“Okay, really. Stop it.”

“But, Proff-”

Mark stands up and kisses him, hard, shutting him up and making him hum in the back of his throat. Mark's reeling from a great lecture, the words he prepared having flowed perfectly, at least up until Eduardo showed up, and he kisses him with intensity.

When he pulls away, his hands gripping Eduardo's stupid dress shirt, Eduardo looks a bit dazed. “Well, I'm not sure that's appropriate behavior, sir.”

Mark groans and yanks Eduardo close by his collar. “Do I have to spank you?”

Eduardo blinks, his lashes brushing his cheeks as he looks Mark up and down. “I think so, _Professor_.”

Mark grins.

\- -

They go to his office, where he keeps the paddle.

Eduardo might not ever sit in during one of his classes again, because it makes him way too fucking hot.

Mark bends him over his desk and paddles him until his ass is bright red and throbbing in pain. He sucks him off and swallows, looking up at him over his curls with watering eyes.

They kiss, and he can taste himself on Mark's tongue.

That night, Mark gives him his goodbye gift.

Eduardo goes back to Boston with fresh marks drawn to his skin, rope burns stinging and the welts on his ass burning. It feels good on the plane ride over. Like Mark is there with him.

They stay for weeks, yellow and green wedding bands around his wrists he looks at as he types in class.

They always make him smile.


End file.
